Ignore articles that claim that American is not real cheese (they’re all copying from one another, anyway).
Discerning whether or not a product is really cheese is quite simple – By law, genuine American cheese must be labeled “pasteurized process cheese.”
Many’s the long night I’ve dreamed of cheese – Toasted, mostly.
Ben Gunn (Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson)
Ben Gunn would never settle for fake cheese, and neither should you. Read on to become a savvy shopper, who knows the real thing when he sees it.
The Sad Truth about America’s Favorite American Cheese, Land O’Lakes
That wholesome, pretty Chippewa girl that used to grace every Land O’Lakes package is not the only thing LoL got rid of – At some point in recent years, they stopped producing real American cheese, swapping out their entire line of American cheese for inferior “cheese product.”
The only remaining LoL Americans that are real cheese is their Sharp American and Naturally Slender Reduced Fat White American Cheese…if you can find them. More widely available is my family’s favorite, Cooper Sharp American, which we buy at BJ’s.
Land O’Lakes’ other varieties of cheese remain actual cheese…for now….but if you don’t want to get faked out, always check their label before buying.
Which Brands are Real American Cheese?
Kraft, for as much chemical garbage as they peddle, at least has enough self-awareness to realize that there is a market for people who don’t want to spend their money on Frankencheese. Yes, Kraft Singles are losers, but Kraft Deli Deluxe is the real thing. Flavorwise, it’s still not as good as the old Lol, though.
Great Lakes American Cheese is a fantastic value, especially if you buy it in the 3-pound size.
How Long Does American Cheese Last?
If you’re concerned about keeping three pounds of American cheese fresh, you’ll be happy to hear that it freezes perfectly. After opening, simply repackage it in smaller quantities, wrapping each tightly with plastic wrap (I prefer Stretchtite). Place your packets together in a plastic bag, push the air out, and leave in your freezer. Once opened, each packet keeps for a month, easily.
Any time I have a pound or less of American cheese in my fridge, those last few slices are always still nice and fresh a month later. Here are a couple of hints that will make that possible for you, too:
- Always check the date when buying cheese. It should be well in the future.
- Always wash your hands before getting out the cheese.
- Keep your hands off the cheese. Use a clean fork to pluck off a slice. If you need to handle the entire stack of slices, use a piece of plastic wrap.
- in the fridge, never place anything next to your cheese that is not cold, such as room-temperature dinner leftovers.
- Never store anything strong-smelling, such as onions or broccoli, in the same drawer as cheese.
- Unopened, American cheese keeps a really long time; but once it’s opened, remove the original wrapper and rewrap tightly in a fresh sheet of plastic wrap.
- For extra freshness, place your wrapped cheese in a container with a tight-fitting lid. Glass containers are the very best (like these). Have the ends of the plastic wrap facing up, so you can open and close the packet easily, without a lot of handling.
Is American Cheese Bad for You?
In the grand scheme of cheese, American cheese is no worse for you than any other cheese. In fact, in some nutritional categories, it’s better! It has fewer calories and fat.
Is American Cheese Healthy?
The healthiness of American Cheese gets a bad rap from people adding it to foods that already have enough fat and calories, as it is; such as hamburgers and meat-heavy sandwiches. Harvard Medical School makes a good point about this:
Although cheese is high in saturated fat and sodium, it is also rich in calcium and protein, and some fermented types contain probiotics. One can enjoy a modest amount of cheese as part of a healthful diet, but how it is eaten is key.
Harvard Medical School
It can certainly be part of a healthy diet, if used more carefully. Now, if you are someone who is trying to gain weight, then enjoy that slice of American on your burger… but if you’re more like the rest of us, try your burger without it, or maybe just half a slice. If you want a ham and cheese sandwich, use a half-serving of each.
Children love American Cheese, so have a lot on hand for snacks. They’ll be delighted to have cheese, and its so much better for them than cookies or chips.
Is American Cheese Healthier than Cheddar?
That depends on what qualities you are looking for. If you want less fat and fewer calories, American would be your choice. If you are avoiding carbs and sodium, however, Cheddar is better.
If you’re looking for a somewhat healthier substitute for your sandwich, try Muenster cheese. It has a fabulous, buttery taste, and all the nutrition of Cheddar, but is lower-calorie, like American.
The graph below gives you a good nutritional overview of how American and Cheddar stack up with Muenster and Colby.
Why is American Cheese Orange (or Yellow)?
Bon Appetit has a great write-up on this subject. It seems that the tradition of coloring cheese orange goes back several centuries, to England. The best cheese, at the time, came from cows that grazed on grass so high in beta-carotene, it lent an orange tinge to their milk and its products. Cut-rate dairies used to add orange coloring from various herbs to make their cheese look like the good stuff.
The reason American cheese is orange is that it was originally developed by Kraft, as a way to use up overstocks of Cheddar and Colby cheeses, both of which are orange. Colby itself is orange, because it is made by the same process as Cheddar.
Wait…what? Colby is not a kind of Cheddar? According to the Wisconsin (birthplace of Colby) cheese website,
Lots of folks think of colby as a cheddar because of its yellow color and the way that it’s made. But it’s a lot softer, milder, and moister than cheddar.”
Wisconsin Cheese Assoc.
What is White American Cheese?
White American Cheese is the same as the yellow variety, tastewise. Although I cannot find any history on why it comes in different colors, I can surmise that it’s probably because American cheese can be made of different cheeses, some of which are orange, but others which are white.
These days, you can certainly taste the difference between brands; but no detectable difference between white or yellow of the same brand. It’s funny how everyone seems to have a color preference, when it comes to American cheese; but will admit that they don’t know why, just saying “that’s what we always get.”
If you have health concerns about the coloring used in orange cheese, you needn’t worry – Cheese is usually colored with annatto seeds.
Is Velveeta American Cheese?
No, although it has a similar history – A cheesemaker, who needed to use up a surplus of cheese. The formula was a bit different, though; resulting in a softer, smoother product, literally a “cheese product.”
How Can I Tell if it’s Real Cheese?
Simply check the label. Real cheese says “cheese” or “pasteurized process cheese.” You may also see a word describing its texture; typically hard, soft, or semi-soft. Fake cheese will say something else. The most common names for these cheesy imposters are “cheese food,” “cheese product,” “cheese flavored,” and “cheese spread.”
